As Stevenson reminds us, people can be tragically imperfect and the criminal justice system can be tragically unjust. Those who are sentenced to death row are not monsters – they’re mirrors. They hold up for us the pain and failings of humanity. Whatever their crimes, if we get close enough, we’ll find that these inmates are still worthy of some measure of compassion.

Cover image: "graces" by Flickr user Fe Langdon (https://www.flickr.com/photos/felangdon/16880818446/).

Music: Frederic Chopin Ballade no. 4 op. 52 by Frank Levy.